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CHICAGO ? An Illinois pharmacist says he's being pressured by the state to sell a certain kind of oral contraceptive despite his objection to it for moral reasons.
A new rule in Illinois ? the first of its kind in the United States ? tells pharmacists that if they're in the business of selling contraceptives, they must fill all contraceptive prescriptions, including those for so-called "morning-after" birth-control pills.
Luke Vander Bleek (search) owns four pharmacies in suburban Chicago and is one of several pharmacists suing Gov. Rod Blagojevich (search) over the administrative rule, which was approved by a rule-making panel of the Illinois Legislature last week.
Vander Bleek said he sells regular oral contraceptives, but is not willing to sell the "morning-after" pill known as Plan B (search).
He considers it tantamount to abortion, since it is taken after sexual intercourse and can prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus.
Plan B should not be confused with the "abortion pill," Mifeprex (search) or RU-486 (search), which induces miscarriage at up to three months.
"We believe that the governor is attempting to create a situation where he's defining my morality for me," said Vander Bleek. "He's saying that, 'Mr. Vander Bleek, if you are going to stock emergency contraceptives and you morally accept contraceptives' ? which we do ? 'then you morally accept this emergency contraceptive or Plan B.'"
Blagojevich, a Democrat elected in 2002, says pharmacists who deny customers any form of legal birth control could lose their licenses.
One of those indicators is the number of states that have introduced legislation on the issue.
Since 1997, lawmakers in 28 states have introduced bills to protect a pharmacist's right to say no, and four states now permit pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions based on their personal beliefs.
Why don't the Democrats go find another pharmacy rather than bash up on this small business and forcing him to carry a product?
And an update to the OP: A couple news stories say that Mr. Vander Bleek has stopped selling all forms on contraception in his stores.
Way to go Illinois and the radical feminist movement! :thumbsup:
CHICAGO ? An Illinois pharmacist says he's being pressured by the state to sell a certain kind of oral contraceptive despite his objection to it for moral reasons.
A new rule in Illinois ? the first of its kind in the United States ? tells pharmacists that if they're in the business of selling contraceptives, they must fill all contraceptive prescriptions, including those for so-called "morning-after" birth-control pills.
Luke Vander Bleek (search) owns four pharmacies in suburban Chicago and is one of several pharmacists suing Gov. Rod Blagojevich (search) over the administrative rule, which was approved by a rule-making panel of the Illinois Legislature last week.
Vander Bleek said he sells regular oral contraceptives, but is not willing to sell the "morning-after" pill known as Plan B (search).
He considers it tantamount to abortion, since it is taken after sexual intercourse and can prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus.
Plan B should not be confused with the "abortion pill," Mifeprex (search) or RU-486 (search), which induces miscarriage at up to three months.
"We believe that the governor is attempting to create a situation where he's defining my morality for me," said Vander Bleek. "He's saying that, 'Mr. Vander Bleek, if you are going to stock emergency contraceptives and you morally accept contraceptives' ? which we do ? 'then you morally accept this emergency contraceptive or Plan B.'"
Blagojevich, a Democrat elected in 2002, says pharmacists who deny customers any form of legal birth control could lose their licenses.
One of those indicators is the number of states that have introduced legislation on the issue.
Since 1997, lawmakers in 28 states have introduced bills to protect a pharmacist's right to say no, and four states now permit pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions based on their personal beliefs.
Why don't the Democrats go find another pharmacy rather than bash up on this small business and forcing him to carry a product?
And an update to the OP: A couple news stories say that Mr. Vander Bleek has stopped selling all forms on contraception in his stores.
Way to go Illinois and the radical feminist movement! :thumbsup: